Commentary on Acts 13:46-47

By Bob Myhan

⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

It had always been God’s intention, or purpose, to bless all nations, not just the nation of Israel—spiritually—through Abraham’s seed.

Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen. 12:1-3)

In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."  (Gen. 22:18)

This promise was repeated to both Isaac and Jacob as follows.

“And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."  (Gen. 26:4-5)

“Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 28:14)

Even Isaiah prophesied that all nations would flow into the kingdom the Messiah would establish.

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD'S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isa. 2:1-3)

 Jesus Christ is the seed of Abraham.

Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Gal. 3:15-25)

The Law had served its purpose and the promise of God to Abraham had kicked in. That promise could not be fulfilled under the Law of Moses for it was only given to the nation of Israel. But the Eternal Word of God had come to put an end to the Law. It had brought Israel to Christ but they had to accept Him in order to be blessed by Him.

Therefore, to the Gentiles in Galatia, Paul wrote:

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise

They were not sons through the Law but were Abraham’s seed by belonging to Christ. But the Jews were given the first opportunity to believe the facts and obey the commands of the gospel.

(To be continued)

A Study of the Holy Spirit (Part 13)

By Bob Myhan 

Using the prophecy of Joel as his beginning point, Peter, on the first Pentecost following the Lord’s ascension back to heaven, began to preach the fulfillment of the prophesies of old concerning the kingdom that would never be destroyed.

Isaiah had prophesied the place the kingdom would begin (2:1-3) and Daniel predicted the time. (2:31-45) But Joel predicted that it was to come with power. (2:28-32)

After establishing that Jesus of Nazareth, Son of David, had been raised from the dead in order to sit upon the throne of David, Peter says,

"Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:33).

Now, it is indisputable that “the promise of the Holy Spirit” involved the miraculous because Joel had said—as a result of God’s Spirit being poured out—that, 

‘Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.’ (Acts 2:17b, 18)

Now, why would Peter bring up Joel’s prophecy if he was not going to make application of it? Jesus, having received the promise, poured out what the people saw and heard. They saw “divided tongues, as of fire,” they heard “a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind” and they heard the apostles speaking “with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Again, these are unmistakably miraculous manifestations.

When those in the home of Cornelius received “the gift of the Holy Spirit,” what they received was miraculous. (Acts 10:44-46) When the Samaritans “received the Holy Spirit,” what they received was miraculous. (Acts 8:14-17) When Paul asked the disciples in Ephesus “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he was speaking of the miraculous for, after they were baptized, we are told “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” (Acts 19:6) Every time the Holy Spirit, or the gift of the Holy Spirit, was said to be received what was received was miraculous. On Pentecost, Peter promised “the gift of the Holy Spirit” to all, without regard to nationality, age, gender or social status, as prophesied by Joel.

(To be continued)